Hey Girls, we just heard about this cool contest where you will have a chance to show off your talent. Milk Rocks & Declare Yourself are sponsoring a talent contest. You can help write the theme song to the Born Again American Campaign. The campaign is trying to encourage Americans citizens to contribute more to their country. You can submit your lyrics and enter to win the contest at http://www.milkrocks.com/contests/baa. Once you do, you’ll be entered to win the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize winner will receive a special, one-day presentation at her school which includes an original copy of the Declaration of Independence. The historical document will be accompanied by a documentary highlighting the history of the Declaration of Independence and its relevance to contemporary America, as narrated by r Reese Witherspoon;a 14-minute film featuring a theatrical reading of the document by several famous actors, and a rendition of “America the Beautiful” by more than fifty leading country music singers. Pretty cool – that would certainly get you in the local paper. And, when you register, you also get a free MP3 song by singer Chad Van Rys. So go check out the contest at http://www.milkrocks.com/contests/baa. Let us know what you think.

Hey GirlMoguls! It’s Poppy, back again with a restaurant round up. Abby has been sending us all over town to experiment with different types of food so we can “expand out palates” and become more sophisticated. Mostly I am just happy to eat the food. I went with Rose and after she had given me a rundown on the history of Greece (that Rose sure knows everything), we went to eat. I thought Greek food was just about the gyro or souvlaki, but I was wrong. Most often eating Greek food comes down to the popular favorites. But, there are so many kinds of traditional Greek food items that are so delicious! The dishes that I am going to mention encompass the traditional flavors that are strong and rich. Greek food usually takes on very flavorful items such as feta cheese, red wine, and deep meats. So, here are some dishes I think you would like tot ry, but maybe never thought of doing so.

When you’re looking at appetizers, skip the Greek salad. I know it’s so easy to go for the good stuff; a salad stuffed with feta cheese and kalamata olives is always appetizing. I know salads are always good for you, so make sure you get your veggies in during lunch, for example. When at a Greek restaurant, try something new for a first course. I chose dolmades, which are grape leaves.Greek Grape leavesGrape leaves are very popular in Greek cooking, and these were stuffed with rice, savory herbs, and finely chopped vegetables. They were so good and really filling. My friend who went to dinner with me ordered another great appetizer called loukaniko, which is a type of Greek sausage usually made in-house at the restaurant.

The sausage often has a very savory wood flavor, and most restaurants include a bit orange zest on the sausage a surprising bite. The restaurant we were at served it with fries, and was another hit. Here is what the loukaniko looked like:

For dessert, instead of going traditional with baklava, try something new! My recommendation is Greek yogurt, which is usually served with honey and berries. Greek yogurt is much thicker and sweeter than regular yogurt, and is a healthy and sweet option for dessert. Greek yogurt is growing rapidly in popularity, and you can now even find it in your local grocery store! So, if you can’t make it to a Greek restaurant, go to the store and pick up a cup of Greek yogurt (my favorite brand is called Fage). Adds some berries for dessert, or some granola for breakfast!

“As a woman I have no country. As a woman my country is the whole world.”
—Virginia Woolf

Virginia WoolfVirginia Woolf makes an amazing distinction between being an American woman and being a woman. Usually, we think of the terms “women’s rights” and the “feminist movement” only applying to our roles as women in America. The history of fighting for gender equality and suffrage usually only includes its substantial record within the United States. However, women make up the only “minority” group that evades all borders, all cultures, and all boundaries. Women are women everywhere, and are all fighting with the same goal in mind: equality.
Whether that struggle is going on in the United States or the other side of the world, the objective is the same. Her words really made we think of myself as a global citizen, instead of just a US Citizen. I am not just an American woman, but also a woman of the world. I share my pain, my suffering, my happiness, and most importantly, my femininity with women everywhere. They also understand what the idea of a “corporate glass ceiling” is and how debilitating it can be. It is important to recognize this fact not simply for personal reasons. Ultimately, Woolf’s point is so important to us now because we cannot forget that we are not alone. In today’s times, everyone is so connected. We can call someone in Beijing like we are calling someone from another state, even though they are half way around the world. Also, we have instant communication via the internet and chat portals like AIM and Gmail chat.
As a young woman, it is important for you to remember that the troubles you go through every day do not just happen to you, and you can often find comfort in other females your age. You have all common experiences and ambitions, whether it is your next door neighbor or a girl in another country. So, keep this in mind: As a young woman, you have no country either. The whole world is your country, and your community.

Beijing Opera House Dark for Earth HourHey Girls, it’s Poppy here. Did you go dark for Earth Hour this Saturday? All around the world cities and communities dimmed their lights for one hour to help raise awareness of global climate change. Public buildings, bridges and monuments all across the world went dark as people got to experience what it was like to only have essential lights on. The event, which has been going on for a couple of years, was organized by a group called the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The idea is to help people and politicians become more aware of how much energy people use that really isn’t necessary and how all of the emissions from using that energy creates gases that are starting to cause the earth’s climate change. In general, scientists think all of these gases and emissions are causing the global climate to warm up slowly, causing the polar ice caps to melt. Besides this being bad for the animals that live there, the polar ice caps are so huge that when they start to melt, even a bit, the ocean levels start to go up other places in the world, meaning the towns and cities near the coast could find themselves underwater. Now this probably won’t happen anytime soon, but global climate changes could have effects were not even sure about. And truth be told, not all scientists think that pollution and gas emissions are to blame.

But back to Earth Hour – in my home town of Weston, we all participated – my parents even turned down the lights in the restaurant and everyone dined by candlelight. My Mom said it was “romantic”, but I just thought it was so cool to be able to go outside and look up at the sky. Without all of the light coming out of windows or from streetlights, the lights were SUPER BRIGHT and amazing looking.

Anyway that’s all for now. If you missed Earth Hour this year, there is always next year, but in the meantime, think about all the lights you have on around the house and see if there are any you could do without – whether it’s always remembering to turn a light off when you leave a room or turning out the outside lights, you too can help use less energy.

GirlMogul Adventures #1

Check out the GirlMogul's latest adventure. City girl Rose is stuck in MON - the Middle of Nowhere - for the whole entire summer. It's shaping up to the be the worst summer - ever! But then she finds an old diary - and before she knows it - discovers a secret that may change a town's entire history! Will she and her friends be able to save Hannah in time?